Lead Weights

[showjyr]

Is it safe to use lead plant weights in a tank that houses cherry shrimp?

 

[RadaR]

Yes. We usually advise you take them off though because they restrict root growth.

 

[garuf]

Yes. We usually advise you take them off though because they restrict root growth.

i personaly would say no. the second you get acid conditions in the tank youll release deposits of lead which are toxic to fish and shrimp and are generaly an all round bad idea.

 

[showjyr]

Yes. We usually advise you take them off though because they restrict root growth.

i personaly would say no. the second you get acid conditions in the tank youll release deposits of lead which are toxic to fish and shrimp and are generaly an all round bad idea.

Acid conditions? If you mean the PH being under 7.0 then i don't need to worry. This is a shrimp tank and my PH never goes below 7.2.

 

[garuf]

Yes. We usually advise you take them off though because they restrict root growth.

i personaly would say no. the second you get acid conditions in the tank youll release deposits of lead which are toxic to fish and shrimp and are generaly an all round bad idea.

Acid conditions? If you mean the PH being under 7.0 then i don't need to worry. This is a shrimp tank and my PH never goes below 7.2.

that should be fine but id play it on the safe side, with invertibrates its always so much safer to keep all forms of heavy metal out of the tank, just incase. if you still want to use them maybe you could wait till the plants rooted then remove them?

 

[ebrcknrdg]

woops ive left some of my weights on no fish in yet tho, will remove first thingin the morning

 

[garuf]

woops ive left some of my weights on no fish in yet tho, will remove first thingin the morning

dont worry unless you have acid conditions you should be ok its just better to play it safe, theyre a potential timebomb thats all.
i remove mine it makes things more difficult but my dad told me about my uncles tank that was a HUGE planted tank he had back in the day which was fine for plants but you couldnt keep fish in it, not even guppys, everything was fine on the normal tests ammonia nitrate so on, but when he tested for lead it was off the chart with it being dissolved in his acidic water over such a long ammount of time

 

[RadaR]

You don't think that the lead used now is alot safer? Ive had lead weights in acidic tanks, no problems at all. Never heard of a problem either. This is interesting

 

[ebrcknrdg]

Lol i hate it when that happens, two conflicting stories.

Well my PH is 7 so i guess im ok either way. The lead just makes it easier to plant, especially for grass plants

 

[garuf]

You don't think that the lead used now is alot safer? Ive had lead weights in acidic tanks, no problems at all. Never heard of a problem either. This is interesting

who knows, could be lead water pipes, could be the leads on the plants its along time ago now and i dont know if he ever found out the sourse, id just rather play it safe.
the lead now adays might not even be lead and a alloy so you might be ok but its not for me

 

[RadaR]

Apparently there is suspicion that acidic conditions could cause some lead to dissolve into the water. It is then advised that if you do have acidic water that you don't keep too many lead weights. A few is ok but not alot. Weekly water changes will help dilute any lead aswell.
Well, well, you learn something everyday.

 

[garuf]

Apparently there is suspicion that acidic conditions could cause some lead to dissolve into the water. It is then advised that if you do have acidic water that you don't keep too many lead weights. A few is ok but not alot. Weekly water changes will help dilute any lead aswell.
Well, well, you learn something everyday.

hahaha if you dont learn somthing new every day then it was a day wasted
jbl reccomned nothing metalic in a tank reggarding heavy metals for the mentioned reason, free ions of a heavy metal in a tank are just bad practice

 

[severum boy]

free ions of a heavy metal in a tank are just bad practice

Someting tells me that is nigh on imossible.

 

[ebrcknrdg]

I feel its one of those things that could be argued till the cows come home. Guess a few are ok so ill let them stay put

 

[showjyr]

If you are really set on using lead weights wouldn't it be possible to just smear them with a thin layer of aquarium silicone....i assume it would stop most if not all of the leaching. I'd give it a shot ebrcknrdg.....let me know if it works or just pulls the silicone apart.

As for mine i just used some small rocks tied to the bottoms until they get rooted.